Luiz Zerbini presents his foray into the universe of prints for the first time

Nominating Committee member in the second edition of PIPA Prize, artist Luiz Zerbini presents his foray into the universe of prints for the first time in “Monotypes”, which opened last Saturday, March 11th, at Galpão by Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel. Assisted by printer João Sánchez, Zerbini used rare botanical species found at Inhotim as matrices for the pieces he showcases in the solo exhibition.

In his past ventures into printing, Zerbini never felt satisfied with the result. The pieces seemed adaptations of his paintings and this lack of autonomy bothered him. However, while developing his book Minhas Impressões (UQ! Editions, 2016) his relationship with the technique changed. The monotypes with plants come across as a subversion of such technique: a direct printing in which the plant species are used as matrices to the very images.

The compositions favor the contours and textures of each species in a reduced palette of browns, greens and blacks. The species fill up the paper – always vertically – in different movements. The distinctive Costela de Adão [Swiss cheese plant] is shown whole, frontally, as if in a close-up portrait. Ipê [Ipe] in turn, is deconstructed in positive and negative fragments that overlap in a grey cloud. Other pieces refer to images from the history of art. Embaúba [Cecropia] with a dry cut and high contrast, reminds us of Andy Warhol´s flowers and Jardim Japonês [Japanese Garden] aspires to different times and states of contemplation.

If this technique emerges as a novelty, the tropical flora highly popular in his paintings reemerges as a central theme. The pieces reveal a sort of simplicity that only a long time of observation can provide. There is an evident and incessant exchange between the artist’s eye and these plants.

“Monotipias”, solo show by Luiz Zerbini
On view from March 11th through May 6th, 2017